The field of the present invention is visored caps or hats, and more particularly, removable visor extensions to the permanent visor of an existing cap or hat.
Visored caps of the baseball-style variety are widely worn outdoors to provide protection from the elements. Typically, these caps consist of a hemispherical shell which fits over the head, to which is attached, at its lower edge, a permanent visor or brim.
The visor is usually about three inches long, seven inches wide, and made of several layers of cloth sewn together around a piece of semi-rigid material, such as cardboard. A traditional cap visor does not always afford sufficient protection for the wearer's eyes, nose, and bottom portion of the face, frequently exposing the wearer to harmful ultraviolet rays, as well as other weather elements.
Previous attempts to provide longer cap visors have taken a variety of forms. Some have incorporated permanently elongated visors, which, however, do not permit the wearer to adjust the visor to standard length when desired. Other hat designs have incorporated movable parts and mechanisms to provide for adjustable visors. These designs have experienced numerous drawbacks, including fabrication complexity and cost, a propensity for mechanical failure, excessive visor weight affecting the balance and comfort of the cap, and displeasing aesthetic appearance.
There have also been a variety of capless visors, designed either to attach directly onto a wearer's forehead or to wrap around the head. Such visors share the limitations of non-adjustable visored caps, and also expose the wearer's head to the sun and other adverse weather conditions.